Songs about Jane
by BikerVixen
Summary: It's been five years since Alice and Edward's death.  Bella and Jasper are trying to cope with their loss and their burgeoning feelings for one another.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Bella watched snow drift softly to the ground and melt away, it was a calming sight, it took away the sharpness of the ache inside her. It would be a couple of weeks before the snow fall became heavier. She was still able to hunt with relative ease, once winter and hibernation kicked in, she would have to travel a little further to feed.

She surveyed her surroundings, no one in sight at present, all she could hear were the forest animals going about their daily business. Further on beyond the forest someone was coming, she could feel their presence, they were a couple of miles away at the moment. It was hard to tell if they were just passing through, or if they were coming for her. She knew it was another vampire but could not discern whether they were friend or foe, she would find out as soon as they hit the forest. She knew word had gotten around the nearby town about the young woman who had moved in to the isolated log cabin in the woods. She had deliberately kept her distance from the town folk. She did not want to be around anyone at the moment, vampires or humans. Unwittingly as usually she may have made herself a target for a predator, but she would deal with that, if the need arose.

She inhaled deeply,the forest was rich with scent, from the animals, the birds, the earth, everything hummed in a fresh vibrant way. Even the smell of decomposing plants and animals was welcome.

Bella had been here for three months, it felt like yesterday when she had moved just outside Churchville, Alaska. She even toyed with the idea of enrolling in the University of Alaska, she had planned to attend so many years ago until Nessie had decided to take up residence in their lives. She loved it, the peace, the tranquillity, here she was far away from Forks and the Cullens'. She pretended that she no longer missed them, it was easier that way. Being there day in and day out with them after what had happened had taken its toll. Five years had passed and she still remembered every sight and sound of what happened that day. She had smelt the blood all the way from La Push and raced back to the house, a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. The house drenched in blood, the body parts. She closed her eyes in an effort to block out the images, she did not want to think about it again. She grabbed a well worn copy of Pride and Prejudice and thumbed through it until she found the chapter she wanted. Sticking her fingers in her ears, she read aloud, anything to distract herself.

She could never go back, never say the things she wanted to say, they were gone, everything left unsaid.

Edward not knowing how she really felt. Never to laugh with Alice again, tell her how much she had valued their friendship.

The guilt was crushing. That's why she had run away from everything, Carlisle and Esme's watchful gaze and Jasper's agony. At least on her own, she did not have the physical reminders. Just her brain would trick her into a sense of calmness only to throw images at her when she least expected it.

She re-read the same paragraph several times before she pulled my head out of the book. It was no good it was still there, seeing their headless bodies strewn there like wet dish rags, blood everywhere. The Volturi knew it was going to happen. Jane had gone rogue, everyone already knew she was insane, but she had now taken it to a new level. The Volturi had sent a messenger to warn the Cullens that Jane was a threat. Their messenger arrived two days too late. She still felt it was a deliberate kick in the teeth. She did not believe for a second that Jane had left the Volturi, she was certain Jane was really acting on their behalf. The Volturi were keeping up appearances nothing else. Even after Bella had become a vampire, she had never felt at ease around them. They wallowed in their own malevolence and it sickened her but she had to know what fuelled them. She had spent the last five years torn between inconsolable grief and anger that ate through her soul. Any chance she got she interrogated Carlisle about his time with them. She spent her time researching them, she tracked down any books that mentioned the Volturi, she googled vampiric law and folk law for days on end, anything to see if she could use even a tiny facet of information against them and Jane. It was getting to the stage where Carlisle no longer wanted to be in the same room as her. She just could not give up, not until she got some closure. It was more than obsession, it had become a quest and it took up every hour of every day.

Everything else dropped away from her consciousness, even her own daughter. The shame hung heavily when Jake had stepped in to care for Nessie, who was now attending high school on the Res and spending the majority of her time in La Push. Bella was lucky to even get a minute of her time when she called her cell. Bella deserved it, that much she was aware of it. She promised herself that as soon as this was over, as soon as Edward and Alice were put to rest and Jane and paid for her crime, she would spend the rest of eternity rebuilding her relationship with her beloved daughter.

The chime of her cell broke through her thoughts, she did not even bother with a greeting, "You have to stop calling, I'm fine".

"I just worry is all", she missed Jasper's familiar slow southern drawl. She could see him in her mind's eye pacing up and down outside the house away from the rest of the family, his face perpetually pinched now that Alice was no longer around to sooth his jangled nerves.

"I know, I just need this time".

"I understand, it's just not the same without you".

The silence hung heavily between them.

"if I thought you were going to leave I would never have…", the words died on his lips

The guilt consumed her, "That's not why I left, I just had to get away".

There was no answer, obviously Jasper did not agree, the cell signal was clear she knew he was still there, she could heard noises in the background.

"Nessie came home for a couple of days".

Another thing to feel guilty about it, Bella harrumphed, "Did she, how was she?".

The last time they spoke Nessie had barely said anything, all she talked about was Jacob. Jake this and Jake that, Bella had tried not to think about the imprinting, her daughter's life already mapped out for her. Bella felt a jolt, and for the first time she understood a little how Edward used to feel before they had married. He had wanted to give Bella the gift freedom and choice and she had ignored it, because she was childish, stupid even, thinking she was stupid madly in love. She did not want Nessie to share the same fate, tied down and married, not until Nessie had experienced more of life. Bella knew Nessie was exactly the same as she had been, she knew that reasoning with her would do nothing, except make her more resolute.

"Good, she gets more like you everyday". Jasper was trying to sound cheery but it sounded flat and false. So many little things were hidden in that one sentence that she had to get off the phone. She hated that Jasper was angry and disappointed with her, but she just could not deal with it. One thing at a time, there were other things that required her focus.

"Look my battery is running low, I need to recharge, so I will contact you soon okay?".

Jasper grumbled slightly, he knew she was just making excuses, "Okay, talk soon". He hung up.

Bella stared at the cell, she knew she had really pissed him off, but there was little she could do about that now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Jasper pocketed his cell, his movements deliberate and slow. His natural reaction was to fling his cell so far that it was lost forever. He knew there was no point, he would only have to traipse into Forks to get a replacement. There was no way he was not keeping in contact with Bella, no matter how many excuses she made.

His jaw tightened and un-tightened, his teeth ground together, funny in times of stress he still possessed many of his human traits. He could hear the others moving around in the house, they were hovering, waiting for news. Nothing was private in this house, they knew he had gone outside to call Bella, he wondered if they had listened in or tuned their vampiric hearing to something else to give him a modicum of privacy. He doubted it. Carlisle and Esme had been crushed when Bella had left.

They were bereft after the loss of Edward and Alice. _Sweet loving Alice_. Jasper turned away from the house and made his way through the woods, he need to some time alone. One of the many reasons he loved Forks was the picturesque surroundings, he could walk for hours and never come across another soul. Bella had as much isolation here that she could want there had been no reason to leave, except there was. It was one of the many things he and Bella had in common. He had known when he had kissed her, he was taking a risk, but he never thought for a second that she would leave the family. That had been a crushing blow.

He would always love Alice, but Alice was gone and she would want him to move on. He smiled to himself he could even hear her voice in his head, _Jazz, com'on, it's been five years already_.

He wondered what Edward would think if he was still alive. But Jasper knew the answer, Edward had always treated Bella with kid gloves, hovering over her like a mother hen, never seeing in Bella the woman she was meant to be, strong, independent, courageous. Jasper had watched as the young couple had settled into married life, it had been blissful for the first few years, but as Nessie grew up and wanted to explore more, Bella finally started to realise everything she had left behind when she married Edward. Their marriage had become strained, Bella spending more and more time in La Push. Jacob had even built her a house on his land which Nessie lived in now, and for a time it looked like Bella might leave Edward.

Jasper and Alice used to talk about it, Alice had become convinced that Bella and Edward's union was coming to an end. She had visions of Bella with another man, but she said she could never see his face, she would grumble about how those damn mutts affected her foresight.

Jasper could not pinpoint exactly when his feelings towards Bella started to change, it had been a couple of years after the murder, but he remembered being overwhelmed by her kindness. Her own grief had consumed her but she still made time for him. The shock of Alice dying, so unexpected, they had never seen it coming. He thanked the heavens that Alice had not witnessed her and Edward's demise in a vision. That would have been too much for anyone to bear, even someone as brave as Alice was.

Deeper into the woods he walked, leaves crackling under foot, the earth damp and heavy due to the rainfall. The sky overcast, waiting for another thunderstorm. His clothes were soaked through, his hair plastered to his head but he did not feel the rain, he walked on regardless, lost in thought. Without realising it he was already at the river bank, still on Cullen territory. There was a small rickety bridge further down, he could cross over and visit Nessie. The agreement between the Cullen's and the Quileutes had become somewhat relaxed over the years. Nessie was now considered an adopted member of the tribe. It would not set the Reservation into a frenzy if a Cold One arrived unannounced, they were used to seeing the Cullens now and they had fought on the same side for so long now, it was no longer mentioned. Jacob was now the Tribal Chief so there was no resistance from the elders in the tribal council. Making up his mind, he went towards the footbridge.

He sat on the Nessie's porch for a while, he had knocked but there had been no answer. He looked at this watch, she should be finished school by now. Maybe she was out with the wolves.

"Uncle Jazz", Nessie said breathlessly as she ran towards him. She was in her running gear, her hair in a ponytail, flying in the wind, the wolves standing protectively behind her. Since she was a child, she had been fascinated by the wolves, she felt at peace with them. She would calmly sit with Seth, Leah and Paul when they were in their animal form, stroking their fur, feeding them titbits. She had never experienced any fear when around them. In her mind, they were just family.

Jasper hugged her, he was relieved that she was happy to see him. He had become adept at turning off his abilities when he was around her.

"I didn't know you were coming", she stepped away and smiled up at him.

She looked so like Bella at that moment, Jasper felt his heart squeeze. "I went for a walk, ended up at the river, there was no point coming that far and not seeing my favourite niece".

Nessie playful tapped him on the arm, "I'm your only niece".

"True, and that makes you all the more special", Jasper could feel the wolves watching them, he turned and bowed slightly to them "Good afternoon, gentleman".

The pack howled in greeting and then started to move off, all except Jacob, before Jasper's eyes, he transformed back into his human form, it happened so fast, that not even Jasper's vampiric sight could catch it. Jacob walked towards them, shirtless with the wind catching in his hair, it had grown longer again, it now flowed down to his waist, like strands of black silk.

Unconsciously Jasper put his hand through his own strawberry blonde hair, it was shoulder length at the moment. He did not think he would ever be able to wear his hair as long as Jacob's or with such aplomb.

"Everything okay", Jacob asked arching his eyebrow. It was rare to see Jasper here alone.

"Yes, everything is fine", Jasper followed them into the house that Jacob had built for Bella. Nessie had laid claim to it. The kitchen was large and open plan, this was where Nessie lived the majority of the time, cooking for the pack, studying, arguing with Jacob.

"But?", Jacob was not easily fooled, seeing the look on Jasper's face, he turned to Nessie, with his best smile, "Don't you have a college application to fill out".

Nessie threw her eyes up to heaven, "No Jake what you mean is can I give you and Uncle Jazz a chance to talk.

Jacob's hundred watt smile beamed at her. She gently shook her head, glancing at him playfully.

"Ness", he gestured towards the door.

"Oh alright", she felt like stamping her foot, but she stopped herself. She gave Jasper another hug, "don't leave without saying goodbye",

"I won't, I promise", Jasper watched her flounce out of the room.

"She has grown up so much since Bella left", Jasper said, now that he was here, he wasn't sure what he was going to say.

"She looks grown up, in her mind she is still a kid", Jacob pulled out a kitchen chair, and sat down. , Jacob was broad and well built, the chair looked like a child's seat under him. Jasper sat down as well.

"You think it's a good idea for to leave for college?".

"Absolutely, she needs to experience life on her own terms, away from the Res, away the coven", Jacob had just turned twenty six, but he was confident and wise. When he was twenty four, he became the youngest ever Chief of the Quileutes. It was a huge responsibility, but he took to it in his usual style with calmness and ease.

"Won't you miss her?", Jasper had never really touched on the whole imprinting thing, and he was a little uncomfortable doing it now, even between the two of them.

"Of course I will, at this moment I have to act her best interests, my role in her life now is of an older Brother, she needs a chance to grow and become a woman.".

"But the imprinting..", Jasper squirmed in his chair, even after all these years, his upbringing still had a hold over him, some things should never be discussed in polite society.

"I don't want Nessie here unless she wants to be here, she is too young to know what she wants. I know she looks eighteen. Carlisle assures me she is mentally at this stage but in my mind she is only ten years old, so I will stay in Big Brother mode until the time becomes apparent that things should change", there was no doubt in Jacob's mind, Nessie was under his care and he took that responsibility very seriously, she would always have a safe haven with him, no matter what happened now or in the future.

"It must be hard, being on your own", the words caught in Jasper's throat, he rarely opened up about such things.

Jacob leaned forward, his hair spilling on to the table, "I have girlfriends, I'm not a monk", he smiled slightly, Jasper looked more anxious than usual. It could not be the blood, vamps were allergic to werewolf blood. "Tell me what's really up?".

"Bella", her name came out in a low whistle. Jasper hated himself for the way even her name produced a longing in him, he had never felt anything like it, not even when he drank human blood.

Jasper's discomfort was palpable, Jacob pitied him, out of all the vamps, Jasper was the one who had the hardest time dealing with his feelings. After Alice's death he had just shut down for nearly a year, it was Bella who had finally gotten through to him, otherwise he would atrophied from starvation and neglect.

So Alice's predictions were coming true after all. Was now the time to give Jasper the letter that Alice had entrusted with him. "I spoke to her a couple of weeks ago, she is still in Alaska, she okay?".

"Yes, she is enjoying … the solitude", Jasper focused on the wood grain that worked its way through the table top, pretending to admire Jacob's handiwork. Jacob had made most of the furniture in the house.

_Yep , Alice was definitely right_. "Jasper, you're killing me here, what happened? ", Jacob said exasperated and then immediately felt guilty when he saw the look that passed over Jasper's face.

"I kissed her", Jasper blurted the words out.

"and…", Jacob prompted

"and I told her I was in love with her?", Jasper admitted reluctantly.

Jacob hid his smile, these vampires were so bloody minded, ancient and stuck in their ways, "So what? You think you have undermined your manhood by being frank about your feelings".

Jasper smiled ruefully, "Yes, it was not easy for me, and then she left immediately and went to Alaska". He stopped and tried to collect his thoughts, but the anger was mounting, "Who the hell goes to Alaska after something like that?", his voice rose as he stood up so he was able to get the whole venom out of his system, it felt good to release it, it had sat inside him like molten lava for the last three months.

Jacob laughed, not in the slightest bit worried by Jasper's outburst, actually he kind of liked this side of Jasper, "Do you feel better now you got that out".

Jasper realised he was standing up, he looked around slightly embarrassed by his outburst, and sat down gently, his cheeks slightly flushed, "I do apologise Jacob".

Jacob waved the apology away, "Why, you were angry, you needed to talk to someone".

Shame flooded swamped him, he could just imagine his father's face, he would have been appalled, Jasper constantly fought a battle within himself, against his upbringing, his military experience. He could his father's words; _Emotion is the mark of a weak man._

"Jasper, stop living in the 1860s, it is perfectly acceptable for you to get angry and show it", Jacob's tone was kind, he could see Jasper was struggling.

"With Alice it was so much easier", Jasper sighed.

Jacob laughed, "Of course it was, because she already saw you say whatever you were going to say, she could pave the way for you. Make it easier, appeal to your manly instincts. Bella doesn't have the same gifts, you have to cut her some slack, it's Bella", he held up it his hands in a helpless gesture.

A small smile crept on Jasper's face, if anyone knew how frustrating Bella could be, it was Jacob. "You're right, thank you for listening", he said stiffly.

"Come hunting with the pack, it will take your mind off things", Jacob's offered, thinking that surely the blood lust would take that poker out of Jasper's ass.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

In the den of a picturesque farmhouse in Wisconsin, Jane stood amongst several strewn corpses. She tossed the drained body of a toddler on top of the heap. Each of the bodies contorted, twisted in a grotesque fashion, the horror of their death still clear on their frozen faces.

This morning, they had been a family, happily making plans for Thanksgiving. Jane had swooped in just before lunch, ripping her way through the young family. Their screams went unheard by the outside world. It would have taken very little time to glamour them, but there was no fun in that, she liked the struggle, she had used their love for each other against them. It had been delightful. She had watched them for days, their middle child Kristy had the gift of scrying. She could look into a body of water no matter how small and see the future. The child could do it at will, about anything she wanted. That was an extremely powerful gift especially in a world where intuitive power was unpredictable and subjective at best.

Jane knew this because Aro knew it. Jane wanted it because Aro sought it out. She smiled to herself, stupidly he had trusted her with this information. Aro liked to track the gifted and bring them across to the Volturi when they matured. He had been aware of Jane and Alec as they had grown up with their gifts. Aro was a vampire of habit even after so many centuries, he never changed. He followed the same routine, never changing anything. His own self assurance was his downfall, he was an assassin's dream.

Jane chuckled to herself. Aro was not aware that she could read his mind. When she realised that Alice was able to penetrate Aro's mind, she had promised herself, that the gift would one day be hers. Her aim was to rule the Volturi, but she needed to be strong to defeat Aro.

There was a time, not long ago, when she had been chosen as Aro's successor, the next in line to become the ruler of the Volturi. The wheels had been set in motion. Then Edward Cullen and his human pet Bella had come to Voltura. Suddenly Aro's taste for leadership had returned, any chance Jane had to be rule disappeared. She was relegated once again.

She licked her fingers hungrily. She had glutted herself, the blood clung to the furniture , the walls, becoming sticky and gloopy on her clothes and in her hair. She revelled in it. She could go months, years without feeding but when the hunger came upon on her, she would not stop until every bit of it was sated.

Voltura was remote, choices were limited and she had to contain her actions when she was there. This was why she loved America, from its bustling cities to the small towns with farmhouses isolated for miles and miles from each other. It was the choice, whatever suited her mood or her intentions and then there was the anonymity, nobody noticed the young blond girl in the dark cape. She glided past them all, as they were got in the vacuum of their empty lives.

_Nobody paid any attention to you unless you wanted them to_, that was a powerful skill, one cultivated by hundreds of years of blending in, not calling attention to herself.

Her attention was drawn back to the pile in the middle of the room. Should she bury them or leave them here for an unsuspecting neighbour to find them. She giggled at the horror of it, she would leave them here, there was no point wasting valuable time digging graves, the humans could do that, this way they would not waste valuable time searching for the pretty blonde family, they would be found right here altogether.

Suddenly there was a buzzing in her ears, she collapsed onto the couch behind her, shocked by its intensity.

It could only be Alec. He was trying to contact her in his own unique ham fisted way. She gasped, she and Alec had had no contact for months. She waited for the sharp pain across her forehead to subside, she closed her eyes and listened.

_You need to come back, forces are aligning against you. _Stupid Alec, why could he not just leave her alone. Always the obedient one, Aro's faithful servant.

_I won't go back, until I can defeat Aro_, she snapped crossly, she hated when Alec tried to be her big brother, technically he was the eldest but only by fifteen minutes, that's all. Then a realisation hit her, she missed her twin, they had never been apart for so long. _Why don't you join me?_

_We are Volturi, our place is here, you know that._

Jane pouted, _We are family, your place is with me. Remember we promised mother we would always be together_. It was a low shot Jane knew, Alec had adored their mother, he had been her favourite.

There was silence, Jane waited.

_Aro will betray you first, he is planning to align himself with Bella Cullen._

It hadn't worked, it had been a long shot, but she was angry that Alec did not play along. _Go away Alec, now is not a good time. _Jane opened her eyes and started filling her mind with inconsequential things, that way Alec would not be able to hear or see her thoughts, their connection would become jumbled. If nothing else, it was a good sign that Alec contacted her. They had never told Aro about their ability to communicate with each other. Aro was obviously still unaware that they were able to speak telepathically with each other. Alec had not given up on her completely.

Alec's words swirled in Jane's head, so Aro was going to ally himself to Bella. Jane felt the familiar stabbing of jealousy. Bella Cullen, ever since she entered Voltura, Aro had been obsessed with her. Her ability to block the Volturi powers, her love for her vanilla Vampire boyfriend. It infuriated Jane, what was Bella's strength, she excelled at being a vampire, that's it. She could block the Volturi's gifts with ease, and protect her thoughts and oh yes, Bella's defining moment, she produced a mutation that should have been stamped out before it was even born. Even as a vampire, Bella was still a saint. Aro's obsession was no more than a school boy crush, but he was too stubborn to see it.

Jane's chest tightened, her shoulders tensing, she jumped off the couch and smashed her fist against the adjacent wall, the foundations rocked and the wall crumbled as if it was made of Styrofoam. Jane wanted to pulverise Bella, smash her into little bits, like she had to Edward and Alice. First she had wanted to break Bella, make her suffer, make her feel pain, if Jane could not inflict pain with her mind then she would do it physically. She had killed Bella's husband and her best friend. Jane wanted to make her mark on Bella, do something so Bella would never forget about her. She would have killed the little mutant but she was constantly under the protection of those damned wolves. She had expected Bella to fall to pieces without her precious Edward, but it had not happened. After the initial shock, she had become the rock that everyone else depended on. It frustrated Jane, she had not wanted to empower her, but that was the problem, Bella was still a young vampire, her talents were still developing, each time Jane had thought she could predict how Bella would react, Bella would take a different approach. It was time, if Bella was not going to crack, Jane was just going to have to kill her. Damn Aro and his obsession. She knew she would not be able to torture her as for some inexplicable reason the Vampire Puppy was immune to it, so she would kill her the old fashioned way. It would not be too much of a chore, over the last few years Jane had developed quite a taste for it. In fact she was looking forward to it.

She would travel to Seattle and do her homework first, make sure Bella was not back living with the wolves again, it disgusted Jane more than anything a vampire and werewolf allies but then these Cullens were always a law unto themselves. When she overtook Aro, she would get rid of all of them and the wolves, that was something she was going to look forward to.

Feeling slightly better, she sauntered from the farmhouse, out the front door, leaving it wide open, the animals would smell the blood and come to investigate soon. She grinned to herself as she rose up into the sky.

_Seattle, here I come._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Jacob placed the envelope down in the middle of the kitchen table. The envelope was made of stiff bonded white paper, lilac buds painted in the corner. With Jasper's name written in neat handwriting. Expensive, pretty and classy, just like Alice had been. Even as he put it on the table, an image of Alice flew into his mind, the day she had given it to him, everything that she had said. Jacob sighed, he was glad to be rid of it, the burden of having it had weighed on him heavily. "She gave this to me a couple of days before she died", he explained.

Jasper stared at it. A shiver ran down Jasper's spine. Alice. He could not trust himself to pick up the letter, he kept his hands under the table so Jacob could not see how badly they shook . He looked helplessly at Jacob who sat opposite him, slightly slumped in the chair, trying to appear relaxed and pulling it off.

The ticking of the clock on the kitchen walled filled the silence. Tick, tock. Each tick tock lasted a lifetime. "I can't" he croaked, every bit of strength leaving his body, like all the air was let out, he sat there deflated, it was a struggle to keep himself sitting upright. He hung limply in the chair with none of the relaxed ease that Jacob displayed.

There is was like a time bomb ready to go off at any minute, the enveloped pulsed, begging to be opened. Jacob had an idea of what was in the letter but he still did not envy Jasper. He glanced surreptitiously between it and Jasper, who looked like he might keel over.

The air between them was thick and cloying. Jacob knew he would have do something quick, he could feel his wolf self already clawing inside him waiting to get out. _We wolves are not known for a patience. _ He grimaced, he concentrated on his breathing, watching Jasper sitting there with that look of torment on his face was too much.

Jacob would have to do it, he bent to take the letter as his fingers touched upon the corner of the envelope. Jasper snatched the letter off the table leaving Jacob's finger clutching at thin air. The hairs on Jacob's neck rose and he gritted his teeth. He bit down on his frustration. The cold ones were never too good with emotion, there was no middle ground with them. _He means no harm, he's just upset_, Jacob kept repeating the words quietly to himself. He was trying to be sympathetic but the old rivalry of centuries past was still inside both of them. Taking a deep breath Jacob sat down heavily. "I don't want to fight you Jasper, I'm trying to help".

Jasper instantly felt ashamed, the letter clutched to his chest like it was a fragile child. He inclined his head to the side, "I apologise, it was instinct, it was the last thing that Alice gave to me, I thought there was nothing left".

"True, but you have only just found out about it", Jacob tried to keep the exasperation out of the voice.

"I know but she was..", Jasper tried to find the right words, "precious to me", he half smiled more to himself than Jacob. Yes, that was the word.

"I know that but there were things she couldn't tell you when she was alive", Jacob said gently, watching Jasper keenly for any sign of danger.

A pain exploded in Jasper's chest, the impact sent him forward, he struggled with himself, cursing his weakness. "She could have told me anything, I don't understand, it physically hurts when you say that she could not talk to me".

Jeez, it felt like they had had this conversation a hundred times already and Jasper had only been here an hour. Jacob shifted uneasily in his chair and then slid off it, he needed coffee, something to occupy his mind while he went around in circles with Jasper. He busied himself cleaning the filter and filling it with new beans. He could feel Jasper's eyes laser through his back. Switching on the percolator his back still to Jasper, he said "Jasper she knew she was going to die no matter what happened, it was her time". Jacob's voice was low, but he knew the impact it would have on his friend.

"No, no, why do you say this", within a matter of seconds Jasper had grabbed Jacob and flung him against the adjacent wall before Jacob had a chance to recover, Jasper was holding Jacob in a vice grip. Jacob didn't struggle against his grip, he just relaxed, never breaking eye contact. Jacob's heart thudded strongly but kept its steady beat, Jasper tried to ignore the drumming it caused in his head.

Jacob kept his breathing slow and steady, to struggle or panic might arise Jasper's blood lust and Jacob was pretty sure that if it came down to it, he would beat Jasper in a battle. He did not want Nessie to witness something like that, too much had already happened to her. This is was the only place she felt safe, he was damned if he was going to desecrate her home. This was her haven from everything. Here she was safe and so was her family.

"She wanted you to live, there was a future for you and …", Jacob stopped suddenly aware that they were no longer alone.

"Jazz what are you doing?", the panic in Nessie's voice evident.

Jasper's grip loosened, and Jacob shrugged it off, aware that Nessie was watching both of them. "It's okay Ness, just a misunderstanding".

"But you were fighting", the anxiousness in Nessie's voice made Jasper cringe.

"Really Ness, it's okay", Jacob gave Jasper a black look.

Jasper nodded "It was a misunderstanding that just got out of hand".

Nessie was not convinced, something bad had just happened. Tears sprang to her eyes, she could not loose anymore family. "Please stop whatever it is".

Jacob put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a gentle hug, "Honestly, it was nothing".

_I am such a heel,_ Jasper was despondent, angry with himself for his lack of control and for hurting Nessie and Jacob. His friend Jacob.

Sanity prevailed. Slowly he placed the letter back on the kitchen table. "I, I have to get out of here. I will come back for this later". He ran towards the back door, Jacob and Nessie calling after him.

Jasper's legs pumped under him, he had to get away, he ran towards the beach, the cool air and waves would bring him a measure of calmness they always did.

As soon as he reached the beach, he ran into the sea, feeling the strength of the waves crash against his body. The effect was instant. His brain fog lifted and he was able to think for a second .

_What must Jacob and Nessie think of him. _He stood there, the waves pushing against him. The drumming of the blood lust slowing to a manageable pace. His head was filled with her face. Alice, his Alice, she had saved him. Why had she not given him the same chance. He pushed the thoughts away, forcing his mind to go blank, just the way Alice had thought him to do all those years ago.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"She's been here in Seattle for several days", Jason Jenks explained, their cell connection was so clear Bella thought she might as well have been back in Forks instead of the snowy crisp landscape of Alaska. She pulled her shirt around her out of habit, she was impervious to the weather and had been since she had been turned.

Bella bit her lip, glad nobody was here to see the anxiousness on her face. So Jane was back. "Okay thank you J, has it been easy keeping track of her".

Jenks sighed heavily, if only Bella knew, "Yep, it's been pretty easy, she has not been overly discreet".

For an instant Bella wondered if her self- imposed isolation had been a good idea after all. She like J, he had been the Cullen family lawyer for many years and he seemed to prefer to deal with her more than the others, well more than he liked dealing with Jasper. Jason Jenks had no children of his own and he always adopted a paternal approach with her, but one Pop was enough. "Spit it out J, you may as well tell me everything", she asked as gently as she could. A cold frisson swamped her insides, what had Jane been up to and obviously the Volturi have done nothing to stop her.

Jenks cleared his throat, "Well, she has been leaving her calling card all over the east coast and then it appears that she proceeded to work her way inward".

"Slowly making her way back to Forks", the words were thick and muddy in her mouth. All this time, she thought she would be the hunter and Jane the prey, but it looked as if Jane had been playing tag with her along. "Have you any idea what are the victim type?".

She could hear Jenks shuffling through some papers. "Seems to be young families mostly".

Her hatred of Jane increased a hundred fold. It was gratuitous, Jane was so old she could go for any length of time on a small amount of blood. She was sending a message as only Jane could, human life even a child's meant nothing to her.

_Soulless Monster_

"This is a very seventies cop show, asking this, but do they have any other leads, any connection, any similarities between the victims apart from being young families", Bella blushed, she was happy nobody could see her, old episodes of Hawaii-5-O ran through her mind.

"Not that I can see", there was more shuffling of papers "hold on, it's probably nothing but one of my investigators heard a rumour that the last family, the middle child had been a psychic, a pretty good one by all accounts".

Bella ground her teeth together, the mobile weighed heavily in her hand. "Listen J, could you get your guys to do a bit more digging on the family and any other victims?".

"These guys aren't cheap Bella", Jenks answered, she could hear the tap tap. She closed her eyes, she could imagine him sitting there in his battered leather office chair, his giant calculator in his hands, trying to work out the price.

She had to get off the phone, she did not give a damn how much it cost, money meant little to her. She had a theory and she had to know if it was true. "Don't worry about the cost, you know by now I'm good for it".

"As you wish Bella, I will check in with you tomorrow".

Bella was thankful that Jenks was interested in having a long talk, "Thank you, and J?".

"Yes".

"I appreciate all your help".

"It's my pleasure Bella", with a click J was gone and Bella was again left alone with her thoughts.

She looked blankly at the mobile phone for a few seconds, she longed to ring home, talk to Jacob tell him what was going on. She even wanted to ring Jasper, hear his southern drawl, the formality in his voice he never lost as if she was a lady to be a courted and he was her beau anxiously waiting to spend time alone with her on their summer porch.

_Stupid stupid Bella_, she admonished herself, she was too old for girly stupidity, she had learned the hard way with Edward. That type of love never lasted, it died a death never to be resurrected until you are both looking at each other wondering how you are both going to spend the rest of eternity together without ripping each other apart. She left the cabin her heavy boots thudding noisily on the floor, when she was angry she lost all her vampire graciousness, she was back to being clumsy Bella. She stomped through the snow, there was a family of bears a few miles away, she could pick up their scent. She broke into a light jog, hunting usually took her mind off everything. Keeping at a light jog, there was no point racing up there and scattering the pack, she would take her time, enjoy it. As their scent filled her mind, she realised she had not eaten in weeks. Not a good sign, a hungry vampire, was an unstable vampire. She silently thanked the heavens that she was far enough from town not to become a menace, she knew from experience that if she went too long without feeding, she went a little crazy. Jasper called it vampire's hypoglycaemia, she just got a little spacey and out of it, not realising her own strength. The last time she had been like that she broke Mike Newell's arm, she did not want to think about that right now so she forced herself to blank it out. Forks had become too cloying too close, too many people knew her now, she hated it. She had always preferred to blend into the background and her need to be anonymous was heightened when she was turned. Alice had found it frustrating, she had hoped when Bella had become her sister, they would have been able to share things like makeup, designer dresses and heels, but unfortunately it was not meant to be. Bella still preferred jeans and sneakers, in her own defence she preferred the designer brands now, when she had been human, K-Mart and JC Penney clothes suited her fine, so she had not been a lost cause. She kept jogging, a jolt of realisation that she missed Alice a lot more than she missed Edward. The thought made her extremely sad and again the unbidden thought came into her mind, imagine if she had gone with Jacob when she had had the chance, picked him over Edward how different things would have been. Mad crazy thoughts, she definitely needed to feed. The scent of the bears became stronger, she was close, the need for blood and nourishment filled her thoughts, she pushed everything else away.

A family of bears, she was so hungry her body cried in starvation, _feed me feed me now_, like an anxious child desperately wanting it's next feed. She knew she only really needed one good size bear, that would keep her going for a couple of weeks. There was no need to kill all of them. There were little three little bear cubs playing. She would not touch them, let them enjoy some of the wilderness first, grow up and experience life. There were two large bears, she assumed one was the mom and one was the pop. The Pop was a little bigger, the mom looked pretty sturdy and well able to take care of herself and her cubs. Her mind made up, sorry Pops but you are going to be my dinner tonight.

Like she had witnessed Jacob do a thousand times she looked towards the sky and made a howling noise. The tribe would have been proud, she really had learned from them. The bears set on high alert, deep growls coming from their bellies, even from this distance Bella could see the mother usher the cubs along, with a grunt and a push of her great nose, she let the cubs know what direction to go. Bella stopped for a minute taking in the picture, but the hunger was getting too strong. The Pop bear stayed where he was, he stood on his hind legs sniffing the air, surveying the surrounding mountains. He stayed in that position, his animal instincts picking up something faint, something foreign, some thing dangerous. He turned and growled towards his retreating family, urging them to hurry, to hide. It was a heartbreaking sight, there was still enough of old Bella inside to appreciate the beauty of the sight, I have to eat, and this was the only way. The last thing she remembered as she jumped towards the Bear, where his roars and power of his paw as it sailed towards her head, it missed by inches, she ducked, leaving the energy impacted between them without pausing Bella jumped on top of him and sank her teeth into his furry warm throat, feeling his warm blood rush into her mouth. The bear struggled against her, but she was locked in tight, nothing would displace her. She lay her hand on the animals temple, gently stroking it, calming it, as Emmett had shown her how to, transferring loving calming thoughts, numbing the animal with beautiful thoughts, fountains, waterfalls, lush green grass, anything that Bella could think of. There was no justice in having the animal die in agony. As the animal's breathing started to slow down, it's mind and Bella's became one. She could see everything that had happened to her sacrifice, she was glad the bear had had a happy life and only a couple of harsh winters, it's images were mostly pleasant filled with such happiness that she got lost in the moment, enjoying the merging of their souls.

The bear's heart stopped and Bella pulled away. She looked around her, they were all alone, his family off somewhere safe. She patted the bear, thank you my friend, you have served me well. She would have to honour the bear, the only way to do that was to skin the animal. She would not just leave it here to rot and be picked at my lesser animals, this needed something grander. She sat down on a rock a few inches away to observe the animal's size and width. She could skin him here but it would not be in the proper way, not the way she had watched Jacob and Sam do it but unfortunately she had no knife with her. She double checked the pockets of her jeans, nope, nothing. The only thing for it, was to bring the bear back to the cabin and skin him there, she would then use his body parts as feed for some of the animals that roamed the forest surrounding her cabin. Looking at her hands she realised they were covered in muck and blood and curiously a thorn had become stuck in the palm of her hand. With swift fingers, she pulled the thorn out and winced at the pain, that was odd, very few things could pierce vampire skin. The thorn dropped to the ground, and Bella's world began to turn on its axis. The mountain's turned upside down and the strangest feeling. Like when she was human. Her legs buckled from under her and she fainted onto the dead bear.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

He had been driving for days, after going back to Jacob's to retrieve Alice's letter, he had kept going. Keeping out of sight as much as possible, he had travelled on back roads, and deserted highways. At first he had no idea where he was headed. He just knew he had to get out of Forks. After driving for several hundred miles, he did a u-turn without thinking about it, realising that he had turned himself in the direction of Alaska, to Bella, to salvation.

Was this how she felt, the thought crossed his mind several hundred times every hour. He gripped the steering wheel so tight he thought it might crumble his hands.

The letter on the passenger seat, sitting there, daring him to open it. He couldn't do it, it was no use, he could not open it without Bella beside him. He knew whatever there was in the letter she would have wanted to Bella to read it too.

Sweet lovely Alice, his saviour, his guardian, his little angel. She must have known all along that Jasper had had feelings for Bella, he had thought he had hid it quite well and he had always reasoned that it was her blood that attracted him to her but even when she became a vampire, the longing was still there, deeply entrenched, waiting to be brought out into the sunlight. Alice must have known along, now that was another regret to eat away at him, one of thousands. She died knowing that she was not his one and only.

Why, why, kept circling in his mind like a rabid vulture. Why now, why did Jacob wait until now.

He supposed that Jacob had his reasons and obviously Alice had told him more than he was letting on. Every couple of miles, he would survey his surroundings as he drove past, nothing but trees and deathly silence. He was alone. It comforted his aching soul.

He had stopped briefly in Seattle at the office of their Lawyer Jenks, with a little intimidation, Jenks hated the sight of Jasper anyway, he was able to get the documentation for the cabin in Alaska, it had been purchased with Cullen money, so Jenks could hardly put up a defence of client confidentiality. Jasper smiled to himself as he left the building with a map, leaving Jenks holding a damp towel to his head, protesting that he had a migraine coming on. If he kept driving he would be there in less than twenty four hours.

Feeling like he finally had some power back, he made his way across the bustling street back to his black jeep. Unaware that he was being watched from the alley a block from Jenk's office.

_Poor love sick little fool_, Jane watched as Jasper fiddled with the keys to his vehicle. Jane took in his lean frame, she had never been that interested in the opposite sex but she could understand the allure of this vampire, golden hair similar to her own, but it had a lusciousness that her own lacked. She watched as young girls and women, glanced at his him sideways some even more boldly, taking in his dashing figure. What was it about Bella that these vampires and wolves found so fascinating, it was beyond her. She had been stalking Jenks office for days hoping for one of them to turn up, thanks to Alec and his telepathic messages; she was able to find out a lot more about the Cullens. She was glad that Alec was missing her too otherwise she was sure he would not be so forthcoming.

There were very few people on the street, pulling up the hood of her cape up, she slinked her way down the block towards the lawyer's office. Luckily the afternoon was overcast and nobody noticed the petite blonde as she kept to close to the shop fronts, her head bowed. She reached Jenk's offices, stepping inside the door she stopped and listened, she could only hear one heart beat in the building. It had a good thump to it, though every third beat tended to be a little slow, this guy was due for heart attack soon, too much greasy junk food and cheap scotch mingled with his blood. Younger blood was always better, purer, more innocent. She liked that. Jenks was nearing middle age, he would not be able to put up much of a fight. She locked the front door and checked the exits, there was one on the ground floor, she locked it. This guy was not getting out of this office alive.

She ascended the stairs slowly, she was slight but she got a perverse pleasure stepping on the stairs with the creaks, the noise sent an eerie pulse through the building. She closed her eyes, she could see Jenks sitting in his chair, his back straight listening, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, sitting there wondering and waiting, wondering what was coming up the stairs. Every one of his instinct's on high alert while his brain tried to calm him down, tell him there was nothing to worry about, it was the middle of the afternoon for god sake. She could see him rising, standing up behind his desk, waiting to greet whoever or whatever walked through his door. The thumping of his heart got faster the further up she climbed.

Jane rounded the top of the stairs and walked across the small landing, catching his attorney at law sign in the glass with a large crack down the middle as if someone had shut the door to hard. The crack looked old, Mr. Jenks obviously was not too concerned with appearances. Jane stood behind the door, knowing that Jenks could see her outline.

He did little to disguise his sigh of relief, she smiled to herself. With a swift motion she pulled her hood down and walked into the office.

Involuntarily Jenks took a step back, he had never seen eyes so red before. The drumming of his heart blocked everything out. She was only a young girl, but something deep inside told him, this was no ordinary girl. He had enough uneasiness with Jasper arriving unannounced and this girl seemed to have a similar energy about her but there was something more. He was always uneasy around Jasper and had put It down to Jasper's mannerisms, the nervous ticks, the anxiousness way he clasped and unclasped his hands but this was something more. This connected on a level that Jenks could never comprehend let alone understand. Her face looked set in stone, mask white, the eyes blood red, the lank blond hair, the odd clothes. They looked Dickensian. All this flew through his mind as they regarded each other. Delaying the moment they spoke as much as possible, there was a rickety fire escape outside the window in the spare room, he was pretty sure he would never make it in time. Rational was fighting every part of him, this was a young girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen. It was the inner knowing, something evil incarnate and it was standing in his office. Something meant to do him harm, he knew it every fibre of his body, and no amount of logic would stop it.

"Can I help you young lady?", his own voice sounded weak and the pitch was higher than normal.

Before he knew what was happening a flash caught the corner of his eye and he was lying on the patchy worn carpet, screaming, his arms flailing against Jane.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Bella awoke, opening eyes and blinking slowly, her brain felt thick and sluggish. A light sheet of white covered her. What had happened. The smell of the dead bear was beginning to attract other animals, she could sense them near her, but so far they were staying away.

A sharp stabbing pain penetrated through her thoughts, she looked at her hand, the palm was blistered where the thorn had been, the pain vibrated up her arm and unless her eyes were deceiving her, the skin on her hand changed to a more pinkish hue. Similar to when she was alive, the thought struck as ludicrous but the pain still pulsed slowly moving upwards.

"I'm giving you another chance", it was a man's voice, a familiar voice, one she had not heard in so long.

_Edward_?. Bella insides began to ache. What chance, what was he talking about?.

Edward stood there, shadowy and filmy, like an old movie from a projector, he was there but the resolution was poor. He was dressed in simple beige garments. Not a designer label anywhere, that's how Bella knew she was dreaming.

The words stumbled out of her, "no chances, go away".

He smiled sympathetically, she hated that smile, she now saw it for it was, patronising and all knowing. "I can't live with the guilt, I am giving you the chance to be human again".

Stupid Edward, with this old fashioned outdated views, why could he not just leave her alone. "I don't want to be human, I was miserable when I was human", she had no idea why she was giving her sense to this apparition but she was. The bear's fur felt comforting under her, she was too weak to move.

"This time you could pick Jacob", Edward winked conspiratorially.

Jake, like that thought had not crossed her mind a zillion times. "Sure okay, ghost of Christmas Edward, can you take me back, show me how things could have been". All the fight went out of her, her head felt heavy and sank into the bear's soft cool fur, she could feel her eyelids closing though she struggled against it.

"_Wakie Wakie sleepy head", cooed the little voice._

_Bella opened her eyes, a little girl with long dark hair in two braids, two large playful brown eyes, a little cherub's mouth was sitting on top of her. "Mom, it's time to get up"._

_Slowly Bella sat up, she knew this room, this had been her room in her house on the reservation, it was familiar but everything looked wrong. _

_The little girl moved her head around so her braids swung through the air, "Do you like my hair, I got dad to braid them for me"._

"_it's cute", Bella's throat was hoarse and dry, she needed something to drink. She wanted water, she had not drank water in such a long time. The sun beamed through the bedroom windows shining in on top of her, she inhaled deeply, the sun was a welcome sight, for so long it had just been her and the snow living in companiable silence, she realised something was wrong, her skin no longer glittered. Gently she pushed the little girl off her, "Go play", was all about she could manage, what was the kid's name._

"_Chloe, go have breakfast with Thomas", Jake stood in the doorway, "Feeling any better?", Jake walked in stockinged feet over to the empty side of the bed, lying beside her, kissing her lightly on the cheek and putting his hand on his forehead, "Temperature is still a little high", he mumbled. She closed her eyes, savouring the light touch of Jacob's lips against her soft skin._

Then it was gone into blackness, she opened her eyes, felt the fur beneath her and the layer of snow covering her. Her insides aching, just a dream or was it a hallucination. She wasn't too sure.

"See it could be like you have imagined it would be?", the taunting in his voice was evident.

Her dead husband had always been an insecure, mind bending control freak. If only she had seen it before everything had happened. How could she be with Jake he had imprinted on Nessie, Edward knew that.

"You are forgetting about Nessie, you know, your daughter", Bella snapped back, her blood boiling.

He appeared to be taken back by the venom in her voice, surely he was well used to it, the last couple of years of their marriage it had been the only solid thing between them. Whoever coined the phrase _familiarity breeds contempt_, had obviously been married for longer than five minutes.

The guilt twisted in her stomach, that happened a lot, guilt about Edward, guilt about Nessie, Jacob and then Jasper. "Is there something you want, or is this my brain playing tricks on me?".

Edward shook his head, "Nope, this is happening, I have been trying to get your attention for months, but you are so good at cutting yourself off and isolating your thoughts that I had no choice"

She realised she had been set up, he had wanted her out here alone, unable to move or defend herself. Her anger just added to the heat in her feverish body, "Was it the thorn?".

He smirked, he always like to be brightest start, being incorporeal obviously had not changed that, "It was from a garden here, I knew it's purity would pierce your demon skin".

Bella resisted the urge to throw her eyes up to heaven, here we go again, vampires don't have a soul blah blah blah. "Yet here you are, so being demon obviously did not hurt your chances of getting into heaven. Do they look kindly on drugging people up there?", the harshness of her voice, veering on a screeching fishwife, made her head ache even more.

He nodded as if taking her point on board or he was just doing it to borrow time, it was always so hard to decipher him. Not like Jacob, she thought and she caught the sharp look he gave her. Jeez get out of my head, then the realisation hit her, he could hear her thoughts. "How long have you been able to do that?", a horrible feeling overtaking her.

"Since I've been up here", he admitted, he had the grace to look ashamed.

A large knot of guilt twisted in her stomach, he knew her thoughts, all this time she had thought she had been safe, not letting on to anyone her marriage had been a huge failure. "Is that all you've been doing? Hanging around me trying to find out if I was grieving for you or felt guilty or what?".

He shrugged his shoulders, "I just wanted to be around you for a little bit more that's all".

"Edward it's been five years", what the hell had he done to her she could barely move, her mind was willing but her body refused to listen and just stayed where it was, aching and feeling as heavy as some of the boulders she had passed on her way up here.

He ignored her last remark, "Jasper is coming for you".

Bella groaned, as it was not bad enough to be up here with Edward, now Jasper was coming up too. She had it, she was done with vampire males, the whole concept of peace and her own space was alien to them, they all wanted to control her. "Edward, I assume you want to tell me something, otherwise you would not have drugged me".

He came closer to her, his ghostly appearance set her teeth on edge, even now his hair was gelled to within an inch of it's life. Stupid vain Edward. He smiled, "Why hate me so much, you used to love me".

She sighed, she didn't hate him, if she did, it would probably make everything a bit easier. "I still care for you and I do love you just more like a brother", she tried to explain but Edward's eyes darkened. "You are in heaven, yes?".

He said nothing, he was just being petulant, he always was when things were not gong his way.

"Is it pretty? Peaceful? Are they kind to you?", even though she wanted to hurt him right now, she could not bare the thought of anyone else hurting, she still wanted to know that he was okay, that he was being taken care of.

"Very kind, I am in the lower echelons but they say I can work my way up, make up for the wrongs that I have caused".

Bella bit her lip, heaven hadn't changed him, he was still so serious, so apologetic for what he was. "That's good, does it make you happy?".

At that moment, his form became more solid, his colouring clearer, if she had been able to move she would have stretched out her hand to touch his arm. His face now had an urgency to it, "They are calling me back, they say I can't be with you for this".

"For what?",

"Jane is just behind Jasper, she's coming to finish the job, finish you", Edward's voice began to sound far off. He looked at her desperately, he did not want to leave things this way. "You need to kill her once and for all, no mercy, whatever you do make sure you take her heart" with that he faded into nothing, she was left looking at the space where he had been.

With a surging pain filling her body, her screams echoed through the forest.

She had no idea how much time had passed, the sun was up but the trees provided enough coverage so she could run freely without the fear of being seen. Once she realised the sickness had passed, she could move again her legs could hold her up, even though she was weak, she was running at a steady pace, not as fast as she would like but it was better than nothing. She had left the bear were it was, she promised herself that she would come back to it later and make a sacrifice to the earth as thanks for her bounty but right now it just was not her priority. If Jane was coming and Jasper was ahead of her, Jasper was in a lot of danger, she refused to have his death on her conscience as well.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight **

It had taken longer than Jasper expected and he had gotten lost several times but he pulled into the yard of the cabin, parking beside Bella's car. He sensed even before he had reached there that Bella was not there, the cabin was empty. He hoped she had just gone hunting and had not returned to Forks. His worries were misplaced, when he reached the porch, he saw that the door was slightly ajar. He smiled to himself, vampires did not have the same security concerns that humans had. Pushing the door open the door the lock fell to the floor with a loud clang, he bent down to pick up, a frown creasing his forehead, how did that happen. The lock was split in half, something very strong would only have been able to break that lock and free it from the door, the door was made from solid oak. Maybe Bella had locked herself out, but that didn't make any sense, she always had spare keys hidden everywhere at home in Forks so Jacob or Charlie could stay over if they needed to. He felt the same foreboding he had felt before, when Maria used to get him to the kill the changelings. Something was definitely wrong.

He had picked up nothing when he had parked the car, he listened, he could only hear the animals in the forest nothing else, nothing supernatural but he could not be sure, his senses were not as delicate as Alice or even Bella. Slowly he moved from room to room, each room was large and had a window looking out on various sections of the property. Nope there was nothing there now.

"Don't you know you can't detect an Ancient, unless we want you too?".

Jasper spun around, Jane stood no more than a handbreadth away from him. With a furious roar, Jasper flung himself at Jane. Momentarily stunned by his sudden attack and his strength, she fell back. Jasper pinned her to the ground. His mind had yet to catch up with his body, it was acting of it's own accord. Destroy the enemy, think of the consequences later.

She laughed and it just made him more angry, he pummelled her, but it made no difference. No matter how hard he hit her she continued to laugh. "Missing your poor little Alice", she taunted, enjoying Jasper's fury.

Before he could inflict anything more, she said one word "Pain".

Jasper was flung off her, screaming in agony, it felt as if a black hole had opened up inside him and was obliterating everything in sight. He was going to die, and Jane would wait for Bella to come back. No matter what happened, Jasper wanted Bella to survive and she needed a fighting chance. Jasper tried to go deeper into his psyche beyond the pain, every part of him hollered but he kept his attention, he needed to try to change her mood. He reached out with his mind.

Bella had sensed the vampires before she had reached the cabin, she could not discern whether it was Jasper but she knew there was more than one and that spelt trouble. Crouching she came around from back yard entrance. In the shed in the back, the family who had owned the cabin previously had kept all their fire wood. Bella was sure she had seen an axe there, when she had first arrived and inspected the grounds. The shed was small and dark filled with the smell of damp wood. There on the ground she found the axe, it was lodged in a large sorry looking tree trunk, it looked as if the axe had been embedded there for a long time, it was covered in rust and dried tree sap . Bella had pulled it out with ease. For months Bella had sat in the cabin trying to formulate a plan to kill Jane, just wasting time, why she had bothered now, she did not know, all she had to do was wait for Jane to come to her. Bella moved slowly around the cabin, she could hear the fighting from where she was, at this rate the towns people might decide to come up to investigate, she needed a better view. She reached the window of the front room of the cabin, from the side she peaked in. Jasper and Jane, she saw Jasper being thrown from Jane writhing in agony, she made to run to the door.

Before she could, she was grabbed from behind, she struggled but the grip was too strong.

"Isabella", the fingers with nails supernaturally long, gently stroked her face.

Aro.

A dread twisted inside her, she was going to die today, she knew it and so was Jasper.

"Isabella, there is no need to struggle, we are friends, yes?", Aro whispered in her ear. His breath was hot against her skin and she resisted the urge to recoil at his touch. He held her tightly against him, his head resting against hers.

She tried to remain calm, she could still hear Jasper wailing in agony. "Aro, please let me go".

"You must listen to me Isabella, let me take Jane back to Voltura, she will pay for her crimes", his free hand was now stroking her hair.

"You knew she was going to kill Edward and Alice and you did nothing", Bella spat, anger making her struggle even more against his grip, "There is no way she is getting a free pass".

Aro continued to stroke her hair unperturbed by her hostility, "I promise you Isabella, I will punish her myself, I will take great pleasure in it", his hot breath against her cheek.

Bella knew she had no choice, she had to let him have his way, "Okay Aro, you can take her back if you promise not to harm me or Jasper".

Aro licked his lips, slightly upset that Bella was giving in so easily. Reluctantly he released her. Bella forced herself to walk to the cabin, Jasper's screams ringing in her ears. Aro followed close behind.

Jane had her back to Bella all her concentration levelled at Jasper, she did not hear Bella enter the cabin. Bella realised she still had the axe in her hand, she had never let it go and Aro in his arrogance was so sure of his power that he had never taken it off her. She turned swinging the axe at Aro slicing his cheek, he stepped back, shaken by the assault. Bella ignored him and turned back towards Jane, she seized her moment, swinging the axe, she brought it down heavily on Jane's neck. Bella put every bit of her strength behind it. Jane began to shriek, her hands clawing at the axe.

_Shit_, Bella thought, without a second to spare, she grabbed the axe and pulled it out of Jane's neck. A large gapping wound winked at her, but still Jane's head was not severed.

"NO", Jane gurgled, blood bubbles popping from the wound. Bella started to feel dizzy, she really was not cut out for this vampire shit.

"Bella, do it again quickly", Jasper yelled.

Once again Bella swung the axe, arching her back to put as much impact in as possible. She came down heavily with the axe, it cut swiftly through the rest of Jane's neck lodging itself in the floors underneath. Jane's head rolled to the side. Panting Bella bent down and picked it up by it's blood strewn hair, a feeling of disgust overwhelmed her, she tossed the head towards Aro as it was chewing gum wrapper "Here you go, you can take her back to Voltura", her face red with exertion and anger.

Aro held the head by several strands of hair, his face black with fury.

Bella was deliberate, she wanted every word to sink in "I suggest you, Aro, if anything happens to us, the Werewolves of La Push have been instructed to attack Voltura and wipe out the ancients".

Aro was furious but he knew he could not risk it. He bowed slightly "Isabella, we will meet again", his voice harsh and cruel.

Bella smiled back at him "I will wait with baited breath" the sarcasm dripping like honey from her lips.

Aro left without another word, carrying Jane's head with an air of disdain.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Jasper slowly, unsteadily got to his feet. "Bella", he said softly.

"We have to take out her heart", she kneeled down and pulled the axe out of the floor boards. Jane's headless body was still bleeding, Bella assumed it was blood, but it was more of a black tar sticky substance than normal blood.

We will have to replace the floors, she thought absently as the black goo furiously covered the floor.

She could feel Jasper kneeling beside her, patiently waiting on an explanation.

"Edward told me in a dream", that was about as much as she was able to explain at this stage. It might have just been an hallucination but she wasn't willing to take the chance. Without a second thought, she drover her hands into Jane's chest and pulled her rib cage apart. There in the middle of Jane's chest beat a large black heart.

Bella closed her eyes for a minute, _you can do this, you can do this_, she told herself. She clasped the heart in her hands, it's drummed steadily, it felt wet and slippery. She ripped it out.

"It's still beating", Jasper squeaked, she was glad she was not the only one nauseated by the whole thing.

The organ sat in her hands and kept beating of it's own accord. This heart carried the blood of innocent children, families. Bella crushed it in her hands, it oozed, she kept pulverising it until it was nothing more than mush, she then let it drop to the floor as it was nothing more than disposable waste.

They sat there for a while, neither of them uttering a word, the tension palpable.

"Alice left a letter for me", he had been waiting days to tell her, now seemed as good a time as any.

Bella pulled herself out of her revery. She was confused, "Where, with who?".

"Jacob", he replied quietly.

She nodded as if she understood, all things in the end came back to Jacob. Even Alice had trusted him.

"She knew", it came out as a whisper.

Bella sighed, she had always knew deep down that Alice knew she was going to die, she had recalled every conversation they had had up to that point. Bella wanted to weep to rid herself of all that anguish inside her. "What did it say?".

Jasper looked away shamefaced, "I couldn't open it".

"Do you want me to open it now ?", sitting here in Jane's gloopy blood, why not add to the surrealism of the day.

Without hesitating Jasper ran to his car, he was back in a flash, the letter in his hand.

"Would you like me to open it?". Bella took the letter from his hand, relieved to see the tension leave his body. She took her time, this was Alice's stationery, she didn't want to rip it apart, it deserved the attention Alice had taken choosing the stationery in the first place. Inside was one sheet of paper, the same stiff paper with flowers in the corners. Bella read and then reread it again. She could see the anxiousness on Jasper's face, without hesitating she read it aloud, "Jasper and Bella, I'm so happy for you both, all my love Alice".

Jasper fell to his knees, he was not sure if he felt relieved or more guilty but at least he knew what was in the letter. Bella hugged him gently, not knowing what else to do.

"So will you come home now?", Jasper tentatively.

Bella idly thought about what cleaning agents would best work to take Jane's blood off the floor. Go home to Forks? Where she would be forced to watch her daughter and the man she loved living together, she didn't think so. She turned to Jasper, a light smile on her face, "How about you stay here for a while?".

Jasper moved forward and kissed her softly on the mouth, "I would really like that".

**The End**


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